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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: mushman on Sun, 16 October 2016, 20:51:36

Title: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: mushman on Sun, 16 October 2016, 20:51:36: i-phone this. samsung that.

Do you have suggestions for an underrated or otherwise off the radar smartphone that no one is paying attention to?
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: Corsa1r on Sun, 16 October 2016, 21:24:30: This is a really good question - I would like to know some suggestions for this as well. Not to hijack, but in the same vein, I'm interested in smartphones that are also 'minimalistic'.

Like, an HHKB in phone-form.
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: ideus on Sun, 16 October 2016, 21:35:34: Running out of battery is one of the worst characteristics of most Android phones, I found that BLU has some models with huge battery capacities. Also, some of the recent Moto have it. You may want to check some of them.
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: Coreda on Sun, 16 October 2016, 22:14:37: The One Plus seems to be a well-liked alternative. The replaceable back covers and battery are nice features, though I believe they made the latest version's battery non-replaceable.

Quote from: Corsa1r on Sun, 16 October 2016, 21:24:30
I'm interested in smartphones that are also 'minimalistic'. Like, an HHKB in phone-form.

IDK, to me things like peripherals can last a very long time if taken care of. Smartphones are like the opposite of that. But I realize you're only talking about appearance.
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: Dr_Alphabet on Sun, 16 October 2016, 22:23:03: Honor 8. I mentioned it in another thread but it's an affordable and attractive phone with a totally open and unlocked boot loader and it has a rapidly growing developer community.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 16 October 2016, 22:55:29: If it's really any good,

Someone would've heard of it..

This isn't PRE-Internet, when localized discovery was possible.
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: FrostyToast on Mon, 17 October 2016, 01:10:06: Quote from: tp4tissue on Sun, 16 October 2016, 22:55:29
If it's really any good,

Someone would've heard of it..

This isn't PRE-Internet, when localized discovery was possible.

So why hasn't everyone heard of the ergo dox?
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 17 October 2016, 01:33:05: Quote from: FrostyToast on Mon, 17 October 2016, 01:10:06
Quote from: tp4tissue on Sun, 16 October 2016, 22:55:29
If it's really any good,

Someone would've heard of it..

This isn't PRE-Internet, when localized discovery was possible.

So why hasn't everyone heard of the ergo dox?

The Ergodox is superior for people who actually type ALOT..

The reality of our collector's world here at Geekhack, is that they're merely collectors, not USERS..

As we know now, the collector's syndrome is by the mental thrill of accumulation, they have little to no use for the object being collected.

Only the Class of people who have reached the bitter end, who have experienced pain, and possess the audacity to seek a better way..

Only they have the opportunity to grasp at the one true solution.
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: xtrafrood on Mon, 17 October 2016, 04:24:24: Windows phones were off the radar until news publications wrote stories about police officers using them. Flyme OS is probably as off the radar as a person can get while still maintaining a bit of user support imo.

edit - If you want to build your own there are a few SIM modules for SoC devices available. Just roll your own Arch distro into it. It'll be the size of a 90s brick phone but you'll be top kek rogue for sure. Plus side is there would be no restrictions as far as screen/battery size. 'Mobile' phone with a 10in screen and 10,000mAh battery anyone?
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: Findecanor on Mon, 17 October 2016, 05:27:27: There are many models of phones made exclusively for the Japanese market. The flip-phone is still popular there, for instance.
I think there is a chance of finding an Android model there that is uncommon outside Japan. There are a few flip-phone models that run android, such as the Sharp Aquos line. But I wonder if most phones are not locked to Japanese language and network standards that are not used in the West.

A vendor that specializes in reselling Japanese phones to the West: http://www.kyoex.com/
Discussion from two years ago: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=61626
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: iri on Mon, 17 October 2016, 17:44:04: Underrated? No problem.

(https://cdn.jolla.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Jolla-hero-2.jpg)

http://jolla.com (http://jolla.com)
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: mark.wood_uk on Wed, 19 October 2016, 14:16:52: Quote from: iri on Mon, 17 October 2016, 17:44:04
Underrated? No problem.
http://jolla.com (http://jolla.com)

Liking the err... 'interactive'? rear cases for it, pretty innovative idea! (perhaps making it a little to chunky by today's standards though)

Want something unconventionally different you could try something by the knife manufacturer Kyocera
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: iLLucionist on Thu, 20 October 2016, 18:46:46: For real: What about a Nokia 3310 like model with OLED display, same battery life, 4G mobile internet (or LTE whatever USA uses) and Whatsapp. Symbian OS is fine. KEEP THE KEYBOARD. I would type faster on T9 than I do now after years of iPhone training.
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: mark.wood_uk on Sat, 22 October 2016, 13:48:57: Quote from: iLLucionist on Thu, 20 October 2016, 18:46:46
For real: What about a Nokia 3310 like model with OLED display, same battery life, 4G mobile internet (or LTE whatever USA uses) and Whatsapp. Symbian OS is fine. KEEP THE KEYBOARD. I would type faster on T9 than I do now after years of iPhone training.

Gotta back you up on that one!
I also find a proper tactile keypad/board much easier/accurate to type on than the on screen soft keyboard! I spend as much time correcting spelling mistakes and auto correct mistakes as i do typing a message with touch screen.
The tactile feel of proper buttons seems to allow you to alter how you press the key if you land your finger across more than one key at a time.
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: xtrafrood on Sat, 22 October 2016, 14:04:30: Quote from: mark.wood_uk on Sat, 22 October 2016, 13:48:57
Quote from: iLLucionist on Thu, 20 October 2016, 18:46:46
For real: What about a Nokia 3310 like model with OLED display, same battery life, 4G mobile internet (or LTE whatever USA uses) and Whatsapp. Symbian OS is fine. KEEP THE KEYBOARD. I would type faster on T9 than I do now after years of iPhone training.

Gotta back you up on that one!
I also find a proper tactile keypad/board much easier/accurate to type on than the on screen soft keyboard! I spend as much time correcting spelling mistakes and auto correct mistakes as i do typing a message with touch screen.
The tactile feel of proper buttons seems to allow you to alter how you press the key if you land your finger across more than one key at a time.

Yep, I miss hearing and feeling the clicks of a physical button/key. I guess haptic feedback works ok but it doesn't replace the sensations of pressing an actual button/key imo
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: suicidal_orange on Sat, 22 October 2016, 14:23:26: Quote from: iri on Mon, 17 October 2016, 17:44:04
Underrated? No problem.

Show Image
(https://cdn.jolla.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Jolla-hero-2.jpg)

http://jolla.com (http://jolla.com)

Had one, it was great but not enough RAM at 1gb - pic heavy threads crash the browser :(

I replaced it with an Intex Aqua Fish (http://www.intex.in/mobile/smartphone/aqua-fish/) which is better yet worse at the same time - single speaker instead of stereo, non RGB indicator LED and no metal around the screen, but it doesn't look like two halves stuck together, it's faster, bigger screen resolution and lighter. Dual sim too. And cheap. Oh and Sailfish has a completely customisable keyboard (https://together.jolla.com/question/21510/howto-adapt-sailfish-virtual-keyboard-vkb-layout/)!

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/717%2BkqINDnL._SL1500_.jpg)

Not sure how well it works with social media though, so it's possibly more of a phone for us unsocial types...
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: mushman on Sun, 23 October 2016, 19:29:02: What I think I would like is a Chinese phone running Android but has the keyboard from the Blackberry Priv.

I have no idea how long they will continue to support their products.

Instead of Facebook/twitter/whatsup I would probably lean more towards emulating older consoles/computers on it.
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: C5Allroad on Mon, 24 October 2016, 07:34:31: Not that it's underrated(in fact praised for its specs and low price point) and people only really seem to know if they're in the loop so to speak of phones. Average consume has no idea what it is. But I've had people confuse my OnePlus 3 for the new pixels, galaxy s7, and an htc device.

I told people who have asked

"it's a OnePlus 3"

"wat"

"OnePlus is the brand, 3 is the phone"

"Okay"

And that's pretty much how every conversation has gone with my phone.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: alienman82 on Mon, 24 October 2016, 09:58:24: removed.
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: C5Allroad on Mon, 24 October 2016, 10:24:04: Quote from: alienman82 on Mon, 24 October 2016, 09:58:24
Quote from: C5Allroad on Mon, 24 October 2016, 07:34:31
Not that it's underrated(in fact praised for its specs and low price point) and people only really seem to know if they're in the loop so to speak of phones. Average consume has no idea what it is. But I've had people confuse my OnePlus 3 for the new pixels, galaxy s7, and an htc device.

I told people who have asked

"it's a OnePlus 3"

"wat"

"OnePlus is the brand, 3 is the phone"

"Okay"

And that's pretty much how every conversation has gone with my phone.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

wouldn't that be the fourth phone? 1 + 3 = 4?
Technically speaking it is the fourth phone.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 24 October 2016, 11:49:07: Quote from: C5Allroad on Mon, 24 October 2016, 10:24:04
Quote from: alienman82 on Mon, 24 October 2016, 09:58:24
Quote from: C5Allroad on Mon, 24 October 2016, 07:34:31
Not that it's underrated(in fact praised for its specs and low price point) and people only really seem to know if they're in the loop so to speak of phones. Average consume has no idea what it is. But I've had people confuse my OnePlus 3 for the new pixels, galaxy s7, and an htc device.

I told people who have asked

"it's a OnePlus 3"

"wat"

"OnePlus is the brand, 3 is the phone"

"Okay"

And that's pretty much how every conversation has gone with my phone.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

wouldn't that be the fourth phone? 1 + 3 = 4?
Technically speaking it is the fourth phone.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

That's not how Chinese people do Math..
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: alienman82 on Mon, 24 October 2016, 11:52:40: removed.
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: C5Allroad on Mon, 24 October 2016, 14:46:00: Quote from: tp4tissue on Mon, 24 October 2016, 11:49:07
Quote from: C5Allroad on Mon, 24 October 2016, 10:24:04
Quote from: alienman82 on Mon, 24 October 2016, 09:58:24
Quote from: C5Allroad on Mon, 24 October 2016, 07:34:31
Not that it's underrated(in fact praised for its specs and low price point) and people only really seem to know if they're in the loop so to speak of phones. Average consume has no idea what it is. But I've had people confuse my OnePlus 3 for the new pixels, galaxy s7, and an htc device.

I told people who have asked

"it's a OnePlus 3"

"wat"

"OnePlus is the brand, 3 is the phone"

"Okay"

And that's pretty much how every conversation has gone with my phone.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

wouldn't that be the fourth phone? 1 + 3 = 4?
Technically speaking it is the fourth phone.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

That's not how Chinese people do Math..
Gotta account for OnePlus X so it's still X but if you add 4 it's 4x.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: Blanched_Almond on Mon, 24 October 2016, 22:21:28: I've got no idea except these 2. I guess, some have not heard about a smartphone known as Zen mobiles are well known for making affordable handsets in India and the new UMi Plus smartphone offers some impressive specs for the price and a nice looking phone used by Chinese.
Title: Re: Going rogue: The best smart phone no one has heard of?
Post by: byker on Mon, 24 October 2016, 23:46:48: I have an Xiaomi Mi 4C, which is a model or two out of date. Pretty decent phones for the price, especially after you stick Cyanogenmod on them to speed them up and get rid of the Chinese bloatware.